Album Spotlight: Chris Young, ‘Losing Sleep’

There's more heart than break on Chris Young's new Losing Sleep album. The 10-track project is lighter than his previous efforts, with more love and sunshine than storm clouds of the heart.

One counts only two true heartbreakers in "Where I Go When I Drink" and the album's signature song, "Blacked Out." Early on there's a sonic buoyancy new to his catalog. "Holiday" sounds like it was written on the beach because it was. "Hangin' On" is a straight-down-country-Main-street, made-for-radio love song. Again and again, he's singing to a new love like he's still trying to win her heart. Even song titles that have you bracing for hurt ("Leave Me Wanting More," "Woke Up Like This") come easy.

Young is still at his best when he slows down, however. He's right when he says that "Blacked Out" shows the breadth of this sixth studio project. It's a dynamic collection that doesn't break from what he does best because the lyrics of songs like "Radio and the Rain" and "Where I Go When I Drink" can't be called anything but country. The latter is a timeless message, while "Radio" features production every bit as smart as his verse and chorus.

Key Tracks: "Losing Sleep," "Radio and the Rain," "Where I Go When I Drink," "Blacked Out."

Did You Know?: Young was able to help write every song on Losing Sleep because he started the process immediately after releasing I'm Comin' Over in 2015.